Detaching device for manifolding material



May 22, 1934., J Q SHERMAN 1359,96?

DETACHING DEVICE FOR MANIFOLDING MATERIAL Filed Sept. 19, 1931 WU M J TTTTTTTTTT Patented May 22, lg l.

attire 'rras DETACHHNG DEVICE IFQR MANIHFQJLDIING MATERIAL I 20 Claims.

This invention relates to manifolding typewriters, and more particularly to mechanical means for detaching used portions of continuous superposed record strips independently ofinterleaved carbon or transfer strips.

The use of continuous series connected manifolding stationery has become quite common, the purpose being to economize time otherwise necessary for the assembly and insertion of the record and transfer material in the writing machine preparatory to each writing operation. Such continuous stationery ordinarily consists of superposed strips of record material having transverse scored or perforated lines at spaced intervals upon which the strips are divisible into succeeding record sheets, and continuous interleaved strips of one time carbon or transfer material. Usually the interleaved transfer strips are also.

scored for detachment of succeeding sections simultaneously with the detachment of used portions of the record strips. Such operation is not only wasteful of the transfer material, which is thus used but once, but it also necessitates a great loss of time in the subsequent separation of the respective detached record and transfer sheets,

defeating to considerable extent the purpose of continuous stationery.

The present invention relates to mechanical means for separating the record and transfer material simultaneously with the detachment of the used portions of the record strips, preserving the interleaved transfer materialintact for reuse if so desired.

The object of the invention is to provide a device applicable to conventional types of writing machines, including typewriters, billing machines, autographic registers and the like which will sever and withdraw from the assembly of manifolding material like portions of the several record sheets without mutilation or disturbance of the interposed transfer material.

A further object of the invention is to provide such device which will not only be simple in construction and economical to manufacture, but

5 will be efficient in operation, semi-automatic in its action, afford uniform results, durable, easily operated and unlikely to get out of repair.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for presenting the detached portions of the record material in position to be collectively tures of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation, or their equivalents, as hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

Referring to the acco I panying drawing, wherein is shown the preferred but obviously not necessarily the only form of the embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a typewriter to which the present invention has been applied. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a portion of the strip engaging and offsetting means. 3 is a transverse sectional view through the strip engaging arms on lines 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view on lines 4=4 of Fig. 1.

" Like parts are indicatedby similar characters of reference throughout the several views.

While the present invention is applicable to writing machines ofvarious types, for illustrative purposes it has been shown mounted upon a con- 1 ventional form of typewriter, but it is to be understood that it is not limited to such use, but may be applied to other writing machines or ap-' paratus such as billing machines, autographic registers and various forms of recorders. The primary purpose,"as before stated, is to facilitate quick detachment and separation of used portions of multiple record strips.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates a conventional form of typewriter of which 2 is the traveling platen carriage and 3 the platen roll about which is fed in the usual manner superposed strips of manifolding material. This manifolding assembly comprises record strips 44 and an interposed strip 5 of transfer material. It wilhbe understood that there may be any number of transfer strips, although for illustrative purposes only' two record strips and a single interposed transfer strip have been shown. The record strips are preferably transversely scored or perforated at'spaced intervals to define division lines 6 upon which the record strips 4 are divisible into successive independent sheets. instead of detaching a corresponding portion of the interposed transfer strips in the present instance only the used portions of the record strips are detached, leavingthe inter osed transfer strip intact.

Mounted upon the typewriter carriage 2 at one side thereof is a supporting bracket 7 to which are pivoted a plurality of swinging clamp arms 8 preferably arranged in pairs. There is one pair of bars 8 for each record sheet 4 between which the record sheets are normally capable of free feeding movement in unison with the feeding adjustment of the platen roll 3. The

pairs of clamp arms 8 are spaced apart, as best shown in Fig. 2, and the interposed strip of transfer material passes freely at all times intermediate such pairs of clamp arms. The clamp arms are preferably somewhat beveled on their adjacent faces, as best shown in Fig. 3, whereby they have contact engagement with the interposed record strips adjacent to their upper margins and in somewhat elevated offset relation with the transverse division lines 6 upon which the record strips are divisible. The clamp arms 8 are provided with enlarged heads 10 by which they are pivotally connected with the supporting bracket '7, the pivotal connection being offset in relation with the lineal contact surfaces 9 of the bars and beyond the transverse divi= sion lines 6 of the record strips.

Pivotally connected to the free ends of the cross arms 8, is an actuating lever 11 pivotally supported upon a trunnion stud 12 loosely extending through corresponding holes in the lower portions of the cross arms 8. cross arms are sufiiciently larger than the trunnion stud 12 to permitfree transverse sliding adjustment of the arms upon the stud 12 without binding thereon.

The actuating lever 9 is provided with an operating head 13 having converging cam faces l l positioned to engage with corresponding beveled terminals upon the arms 8 upon oscillatory adjustment of the actuating lever 9 about the trunnion stud 13.

The actuating lever 9 is normally retracted as shown in Fig. 1. Upon its .initial oscillatory movement about the trunnion stud 12 which is effected independently of the arms 8, the cam faces 14 operatively engage with the beveled terminals of the clamp arms and thereby contract the arms of each pair one toward the other into gripping engagement with the interposed strips of manifolding material. The continued upward movement of the actuating lever 9 effects an upward and lateral swinging motion of the engaged clamp arms about their pivotal connection with the supporting bracket 7 in a substantially oblique direction relative to the extent of the record strips. This swinging motion of the arms tears the engaged portions of the strips transversely upon the weakened division lines 6 and simultaneously presents the detached portions of the strips in laterally ofiset relation with the main portions of the strips and relative to the interposed strip of transfer material. In such laterally offset relation, as is illustrated in Fig. 1, the detached portions of the record strips may be readily grasped independently of the interposed transfer strip or strips. The transfer strip, or strips as the case may be, are preferably guided over an elevated guide and thence to a receiving roll not shown in the drawing, upon which the transfer material is retrieved preparatory to reuse if so desired.

The present detachment and displacement device insures the record strips being accurately sub-divided upon the preformed division lines 6 and the detached portions offset in relation to be quickly and easily grasped. The entire operation can be performed very quickly by a single motion of striking the under side of the actuating lever 9 and without stopping continuing the upward motion, the offset detached sheets being grasped by the operators other hand, and the arms being allowed to return preparatory to the next operation. Both the actuating lever 9 and the clamp arms 8 are preferably, though not nec- These holes in the essarily, provided with comparatively light retracting springs which will serve to insure the return of the clamp arms to transverse position relative to the strips and to insure the disengagement of the actuating lever from the clamp arms, but which will not possess sufiicient tension to require undue operating effort upon the part of the operator. The enlarged heads of the clamp arms 8 are preferably provided with concentric slots 15 through which projects a stud 16 upon the bracket '7 thereby limiting the swinging motion of the clamp arms in either direction.

Such enlarged disk like heads 10 of the arms 8 project into overlapping relation with the strips of manifolding material in all positions of adjustment, thus preserving the intermeshing relation of the arms and manifolding strips. The

arms 8 are of such width as to extend below the line of gripping contact with the material and below the transverse division lines upon which the strips are divisible, whereby in the position of final detachment of the engaged sheets from the strips as indicated by dotted lines, the intermeshing relation of considerable portions of the arms 8 as well as the head discs 10 between the ends of the strips will be maintained to facilitate and insure their return in proper relat'on therewith.

While the device is shown and described as applied to the detachment of the written portions from the record strips leaving the strips of transfor material intact, it is to be understood that without any change of construction or operation other than the initial threading of the several strips differently between the arms, both the written record sheets and interposed portions of transfer material may be simultaneously detached, or if desired the transfer material only may be detached and separated from the written portions by the operation of the arms leaving such written portions Without the carbon sheets to be subsequently detached by hand tearing operation. This obviates the necessity for separation of the interleaved carbon sheets from the written portions of the record material after detachment.

By interposing both record and transfer strips between the gripper arms, portions of both strips may be detached simultaneously, or if only the transfer strips are interposed therebetween portions of the transfer material only will be detached leaving the record strips to be detached by hand. If as initially described, the record strips only are passed between the gripper arms, the transfer material will be left intact and the written portions of the record strips will be detached and separated from the transfer material.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided-a device of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprise the preferred form of several modes of putting the invention into effect, and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. Means for separating detachable portions of superposed record strips of manifolding material from interleaved strips of transfer material, including a plurality of pairs of movable clamp bars, one pair for each record strip between which the record strip extends, said pairs of bars being spaced apart to permit the passage of interleaved transfer strips therebetween, and actuating means for initially adjusting the bars of the respective pairs into gripping engagement with the interposed record strips and by further operation moving the bars and gripped portions of the record strips relative to the supply portions thereof to detach the gripped portions and present them in offset relation beyond the margin of the interleaved transfer strips.

2. A separator device for manifolding material, including gripper means for the record material engageable therewith independently of interleaved transfer material, said gripper means being bod ly movable, and a manual operating member for initially actuating the gripper means into engagement with the record strips independently of the transfer material and thereafter bodily moving the gripper means to shift the engaged record material relative to the transfer material to a position beyond the margin thereof to enable collective grasping of the engaged record material.

3. Means for separating alternating sheets of manifolding material, including movable grippers engageable with the sheets of one series independently of the other sheets, said grippers being normally disengaged and permitting free relative movement of the sheets, and actuating means for initially actuating the grippers into engagement with the sheets of one series and thereafter shifting such gripper members bodily to offset the engaged sheets from the unengaged sheets.

4. Means for separating alternating sheets of manifolding material, including gripper members engageable with one series of sheets independently of the remaining sheets, said gripper members being movable in a direction substantially oblique relative to the several sheets, and actuating means effecting gripping engagement thereof with the selected sheets and thereafter bodily moving, the grippers obliquely to present the engaged sheets in onset relation with the remaining sheets.

5.'Means for separating alternate sheets of manifolding material, including pivotally mounted arms, interposed between the sheets, relatively to which the sheets are normally freely movable, actuating means for effecting gripping engagement of the arms with selected sheets, and thereafter oscillating such arms to present the gripped sheets in offset relation with the remaining sheets.

6. Means for detaching portions of record strips transversely scored for division at spaced intervals, including gripper members engageable with the portions of the strips'to be detached and actuating means for moving the gripper members in a direction divergently relative to the strips whereby the strips will be torn transversely upon the transverse scores.

7. Means for detaching a portion of a strip of material which is transversely scored for division, including a swinging arm engageable with the strip at one side of the transverse division score, a pivotal mounting for the swinging arm offset detached and means for with relation to the point of engagement at the opposite side of the transverse division score, means for engaging the arm with the strip and for thereafter transmitting thereto a swinging motion to tear the strip transversely upon the division score and present the detached portion in laterally offset relation with the main portion.

8. In an apparatus of the character descri ed, a plurality of swinging arms between which superposed strips of manifolding material freely pass, a laterally offset pivotal connection for the arms, means for effecting gripping engagement of the arms with selected strips of manifolding material independently of other strips, the subsequent swinging movement of the arms operating to transversely detach the engaged portions of the strips and present the detached portions in laterally offset relation with the remaining strips.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, a plurality of swinging arms arranged in pairs,

the members of which are movable toward and from each other, between which superposed strips of manifolding material may freely pass, means for contracting said arms upon the interposed strips, the subsequent swinging motion of the arms effecting transverse division of the strips and presenting the detached portions thereof in laterally offset relation with the main portions thereof.

10. In an apparatus of the character described, a plurality of movable clamp bars between which superposed strips of manifolding material are normally freely movable, means clamping engagement thereof with the interposed strips of manifolding material, said clamp bars being movable relative to the main portions of the strips to detach the engaged portions therefrom and present the detached portions in lat erally offset relation thereto.

11. In an apparatus of the character described, swinging grippers for engagement with selected strips of manifolding material past which the strips are normally freely movable, and actuating means for the grippers, the initial movement thereof effecting gripping engagement of the grippers with the strips, said grippers by their subsequent movement operating to detach engaged portions of the strips from the main portions thereof and present such detached portions in laterally offset relation with the main portions of the strips.

12. In an apparatus of the character described, means for detaching and-separating superposed portions of manifolding material consisting of means for mechanically grasping the portions of alternating strips of manifolding material to be transmitting thereto a transverse diagonal motion by which the grasped portions of the strips are transversely detached from and presented in laterally offset relation with the main portions of the strips.

13. Apparatus for detaching and separating superposed portions of manifolding material consisting of gripper means mechanically grasping the portions of alternating strips of manifolding material to be detached upon transverse lines in proximate relation with the division 'lines upon which the grasped portions of the strips are to be detached, and means for transmitting thereto a swinging motion about a center of oscillation at the opposite side of said division line, by which the grasped portions of the strip are transversely detached upon such for effecting division line and presented in laterally offset relation with the main portions of the strips.

14. Apparatus for detaching .and separating superposed portions of manifolding material consisting of gripper means mechanically grasping the portions of alternating strips of manifolding material to be detached, and means for transmitting thereto a transverse swinging motion by which the grasped portions are detached from the main portions of the strips and presented in laterally offset relation therewith.

15. In an apparatus of the character described, swinging gripper arms for engagement with selected strips of manifolding material past which the strips are normally freely movable, an

operating lever pivoted to the free end of the gripper arms and by its initial movement independently of the arms effecting gripping engagement thereof with the strips and by further movement in unison with the gripper arms effecting detachment of the engaged portions of the strips and presentation thereof in offset re lation with the main portions of the strips.

16. In an apparatus of the character described, a pair of swinging gripper arms between which a strip of manifolding material normally freely passes, an operating lever pivoted to the free ends of the, gripper arms and having camming engagement therewith, the gripper arms having operative engagement with the interposed strip upon the initial movement of the actuating lever independently of the gripper arms, and upon further movement of the lever moving in unison therewith to effect detachment of the engaged portion of the strip and its presentation in laterally offset relation with the main portion of the strip.

17. In an apparatus of the character described, a plurality of gripper arms arranged in pairs intermediate which superposed strips of manifolding material may normally pass freely, an actuatlng lever common to the plurality of gripper arms, said lever being capable of initial movemea er ment independently of the arms, andfurther movement in unison with the gripper arms, and interengaging cam faces upon the gripper arms and actuating lever by which gripping engagement of the strips iseffected by such initial independent movement, the subsequent movement of the arms effecting detachment of the engaged portions of the strips and their presentation in offset relation with the main portions of the strips.

18. In an apparatus of the character described, movable gripper members for engagement with selected strips of manifolding material past which the strips are normally freely movable, and actuating means for engaging the grippers with the strips and moving the grippers to detach engaged portions of the strips, and extensions carried by the grippers maintaining intermeshing relation with the strips, when the grippers aremoved to detaching position.

19. In an apparatus of the character described, swinging gripper arms engageable with selected strips of manifolding material and by their swinging adjustment operating to detach portions thereof, and disc like heads upon said arms concentric with their pivotal connections extending between superposed manifolding strips to maintain intermeshing relation of the arms therewith and guide said arms between the strips upon their return movement.

20. In an apparatus of the character described, movable gripper members engageable with selected strips of manifolding material and by their movement operating to detach engaged port ons thereof, said grippers extending beyond the line of engagement in overlapping relation with the division line upon which the engaged portions of the strips are detachable to maintain the intermeshing relation of the arms with the strips to insure the return movement of the grippers in proper relation therewith.

JOHN Q. SHERMAN. 

